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My 12-year-old dog has just been diagnosed with heart failure (dilated cardiomyopathy) and kidney failure, on top of various long-standing medical problems (Addison's disease, hypothyroidism, chronic never damage, and some other heart issues). After a wobbly first week, she's happy at home but obviously on borrowed time and we're happy as long as she's happy.

She's eating well again, but only 'people' food - chicken breasts, turkey breasts, salmon, and steak, eggs, and rice in beef broth. She lost nearly 10% of her body weight last week, and we're now try to make sure she eats enough not to lose any more muscle. But I can't work out how many calories she needs. She's no longer very active, as we can't take her beyond the garden in case of risk of collapse, though she's still pottering around and 'playing' (in an old dog way) with our younger dog.

There are so many online calculators for calorie intake, I'm finding it difficult to know much we should be feeding her. When she was on 'dog' food, we weighed it but I don't know how many calories it contained and I don't know if that's at all relevant know in any event. She was steady at 38kg (give or take 0.5kg) for quite a while, though is now at 35.5kg. Does anyone have any insight into the best way to determine what her calorie intake should be? Has anyone been through any similar experiences?

the above link should be reliable, I'd use what was her steady weight (38 kilos) which gives ~1400kcal

losing 10% body weight in a week is likely to have been fluid largely, personally (as a dog owner and having had a very poorly dog for sometime) I'd ignore the loss and feed to current needs, and she'll find a new equillibrium.

chicken and rice, white fish (frozen bags of basa/pollock/that sort of thing) and rice or potato, porridge +/- full fat milk/fish were my lad's favourites and would suit in heart failure too

We're trying to add in other foods - veggies and more carbs, but she won't eat it. Realistically, she's probably only got anywhere between days and a few weeks as either her heart or kidneys will give out for good, so we're not so worried about her meals being totally balanced (unlike her regular Addison's feeding regime!).

w06 - I haven't tried white fish on her. That's a good idea, thanks! Unfortunately, she definitely lost some muscle and not just fluids when she crashed. That calculator is interesting - I've got results between 1200 and 2100 on a range of calculators, so it's interesting that the manufacturers suggest on the lower end.

oh yeah, sorry didn't mean she won't have lost muscle, but 3 kilo ish loss in a week will be partly fluid - especially if she has heart failure that's now being treated.

give white fish and also porridge a try. Porridge has protein, carbs and fat if you make it with full fat milk, mine love it with their meat or on it's own, can throw some peas in as it cools too if she likes them.

If she is under the care of a vet, haven't you asked for their advice? Having said that, if the poor thing has a very limited time left I'd be giving her the best steak if she wanted it (and I'm a vegetarian!). My friend's very sickly dog loved Complan!

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